


Fragments from a Manuscript on the Matter of Troy

by lferion



Category: The Iliad - Homer, Troy (2004), Troy Book - John Lydgate
Genre: Alliteration, Angst, Bronze Age, Community: three weeks for dw, Gen, Poetry, Retelling, Swordplay, Wars, antiquity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-10
Updated: 2010-05-10
Packaged: 2017-10-10 14:06:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/100593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lferion/pseuds/lferion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This piece has been a work in progress for many years now. It was begun as a result of seeing the movie Troy, and some subsequent discussion of how truthful/accurate/good the film was, especially in light of actual Homeric Greek history and so forth, plus doing some research for my own curiosity on how the story of Troy has been told and re-told through the years. Lydgate's medieval retelling was particularly fascinating if rather turgid poetically.</p><p>I started writing this as a way of focusing on Hector's story (Hector being my favorite character, even before seeing him played by the excellent and decorative Eric Bana). A not inconsiderable chunk of it was written on the fourth of July, during the lull between helping set up a fireworks display (checking all the fuses, pounding sand for the mortars, fun stuff like that) and subsequently helping set them off. Somewhere in a box is a notebook that has notes taken that day, and snippets that I did not get typed in.</p></blockquote>





	Fragments from a Manuscript on the Matter of Troy

Prologue

O let bronze speak with blades that ring like bells  
No iron clamor in the dreary dark,   
This song, but white-bright tin and cunning copper   
Sounding forth beneath the sun and over sand.  
Here all sound is speech, as acts recalled  
Play forth again - spear on shield, fist on flesh,  
Loving lips on sweat-cold, bloodied brow -  
Pregnant now with meaning, heard by open ears.

Ageless Ilium striving stands; enduring, falls.  
Eternal stones, ever-toppled towers  
Rise to taunt the grim Achaeans' unending  
Storm upon her beach. Ships and pyres burn.  
Odysseus turns Troy against itself  
And horse-proud strength unbinds the Scaen Gate  
Hector and Achilles fight and fall and fight  
Forever, all as blinded Homer sings.

Such skill I have, I set against this telling,  
that in my words bronze music may yet sound.  
If worth be found within, it is the tale,  
And not this teller, shining fiercely forth.  
Hear, O hearts that heros crave and wonders seek  
Of horse-taming Hector, Priam and Hekabe's son  
Andromache's dear husband and dread lord  
Father to Scamandrius, and Prince of Troy.

* * *

  
I

Hector, hold fast!  
Unready horses race to fall  
Unsteady spearmen miss their mark  
Both look to you,   
as well you know.  
Spread soothing oil on proud and nervous necks,  
Send strong and simple words to anxious ears.

Hector, hold hard!  
With ruddy hands Dawn waits to spill  
The bloody sunlight on the sand.  
The fame of Troy  
Is in your care.  
Phoebus stands aloof, the Hunter on high  
With un-nocked arrows, silver bow unstrung.

Hector, hold true!  
Your father watches from the walls  
Your son and wife wait your return  
They look to you,  
as well you know.  
Human will alone works upon the day:  
No godly ichor falls but heros' blood.

Hector, hold firm!  
Achaeans creep up from the sea  
Danaeans race with spear held high  
The fate of Troy  
Is in your charge.  
Let them advance like fire to the forge;  
Make them break like clay on Trojan bronze.

* * *

  
II

O Mother, greet me not with wine  
with words of love and comfort, gracious care;  
Too stained my hands with death,  
to offer honor proper to the Gods;  
My heart o'erfull of slaughter.

My wearied limbs would tremble  
Strength fail and sinews crack before thy eyes  
Duty only holds me upright,   
honor's bonds: the Need of Troy more urgent  
Than any other, softer, call.

O weaken not my will, lest I dissolve.

My Son, my first-born, Priam's joy and heir,  
Troy is in thy bones, her stones and streets  
Thy sinews and thy strong, sure arms;  
Scamander's waters flow in thy heart's blood,  
Thy earnest sweat and stern-checked tears.

No wine could e're that bastion break,  
Or words of mine stop up yon river's course.  
Let the City stand for you  
Not you for it, for one short span of rest  
Refresh thy spirit in repose.

Let others stand this night in our defense.

O Hekabe, O Queen of Troy  
Priam's wife and mother to his sons,  
Let me kiss thy brow and know  
Thy hand is held in blessing o'er thy child:  
Stern _Kleos_ calls me back to war.

If my bones be the bones of Troy  
And my thick blood her living water's flow,  
Then all the more must I stand forth,  
However hurt my heart, or spirit sore.  
To stiffen up the slighter souls.

My breath and strength and body needs must speak  
I will not fear, but of love make  
A shield, and cast forth _aidos_ with my spear.

* * *

  
III

Hector, hold fast!  
Bold Ajax preening strides and shouts his boasts,  
To o'ercome all with might of thew and thigh.  
It is a feint,   
Can you not see?  
That battle grants but false renown, not hope  
Of victory 'gainst Agamemnon's wrath.

Hector, hold hard!  
No challenge this of honor but of pride   
To steal from strength to bastion quailing hearts.  
The fame of Troy  
Is in your care.  
Phoebus stands aloof, the Hunter on high  
With un-nocked arrows, silver bow unstrung.

Hector, hold true!  
Achilles' armour greets thy blade  
His shapely helmet, far-famed shield  
But not his soul.  
Can you not see?  
The foot-fleet grace is tutored, not untaught,  
Not Peleas' son, but Patroclus fights here.

Hector, hold firm!  
Achaeans creep up from the sea  
Danaeans race with spear held high  
The fate of Troy  
Is in your charge.  
Let them advance like fire to the forge;  
Make them break like clay on Trojan bronze.

**Author's Note:**

> This piece has been a work in progress for many years now. It was begun as a result of seeing the movie Troy, and some subsequent discussion of how truthful/accurate/good the film was, especially in light of actual Homeric Greek history and so forth, plus doing some research for my own curiosity on how the story of Troy has been told and re-told through the years. Lydgate's medieval retelling was particularly fascinating if rather turgid poetically.
> 
> I started writing this as a way of focusing on Hector's story (Hector being my favorite character, even before seeing him played by the excellent and decorative Eric Bana). A not inconsiderable chunk of it was written on the fourth of July, during the lull between helping set up a fireworks display (checking all the fuses, pounding sand for the mortars, fun stuff like that) and subsequently helping set them off. Somewhere in a box is a notebook that has notes taken that day, and snippets that I did not get typed in.


End file.
